Sexplanations with Stacey: All about that ass

The hit HBO show, Girls, opened its fourth season with an anilingus scene – go Lena Dunham!

As seems to be a trend, I was flooded with pop-culture sparked questions on the activity better known as ass eating or rim job. They both refer to oral sex performed on another’s anus.

Yes, I am talking about licking someone’s asshole. Many people enjoy performing and/or receiving anilingus, it is not specific to any gender or orientation, and it can be quite pleasurable as the anus has a high concentration of nerve endings.

Maybe you find this act intriguing, maybe you are not interested in the least, maybe you have been eating ass for years.

The important thing to know is that, as with any sexual activity, there is a safer way to do it.

First things first – always ask someone before licking their ass. The ass talk is an important talk to have, some people are not comfortable with sexual activities that involve the anus and that is okay.

It is also important to keep a barrier between your mouth and the anus, no matter how clean the anus is, it is possible to contract diseases and infections, including STIs, from this activity.

There are people who fantasize about feces, become sexually aroused by feces and/or like to incorporate feces into their sexual activity. If feces is involved in your sexual activity it is a good idea to ensure you and your partner(s) are tested for all STIs beforehand. A blumpkin (receiving oral sex while taking a shit) is a safer sexual activity as you do not eat or lick the shit, you only smell it.

A dental dam is a thin piece of latex, they also come in non-latex, that is placed over the anus to act as a barrier. They come in many flavours and can be found locally at Planned Parenthood Waterloo Region (PPWR), the Aids Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area (ACCKWA) and Public Health, at no cost. A condom can easily be made into a dental dam.

Simply unroll the condom, cut off the tip and cut down the side. You can also make a dental dam out of a latex or non-latex glove by cutting off the fingers and cutting up the side. You can use lube on the side facing the anus to reduce friction and add pleasure.

Some people like to prepare their anus before it is licked, by removing pubic hair. Often pubic hair grows around the anus. There are many hair removal options – shaving, waxing, sugaring, Nair, laser.

The important thing is that you are careful, as the anus is a sensitive spot of the body. A Brazilian includes waxing or sugaring the anus. Some also like to bleach their assholes. Anal bleaching is the process of lightening the colour of the skin around the anus. Again, be careful, as the sensitive skin around the anus can easily be irritated or even burned.

Stacey Jacobs has been a Sex Educator for 15 years and is the Sexual Health Education Manager at Sexual Health Options, Resources & Education (SHORE Centre.) She teaches in the Sexuality, Marriage and Family Studies Program at the University of Waterloo and when not educating, she enjoys reading, walking her dogs and eating good food. The life of a Sex Educator is usually not as interesting as people assume.

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